Liquid rheostat.



Kx A. SMMON.

LIQUID HHEOSTAT.

APPLICATION min DEC. 1o. 1914.

Paented Sept. 3, 1918.

NVENTOR WTNESSES: fr.

"bfi/WM ATTORNEY, y

onrri MIA.

HUSE

Application lcd Ilccember lo, m14. Serial En` 'f,.42

To @ZZ wfwm, 'it may (fonce/m:

`Be it known that l` inni; if Sinnen', zi eitizen o'le libe llniteil Sintes, :mal :i reeldent oie Edgewood lzirlf. in the rfoiiny ot Alleo'lienv 21ml titulo oi' 'llennSylvniinL have t'v A inventate new und wein] improvement in liicnirl Rlieoe'zits. ot' which tlie 'tollonline is f to , a. epeeitczition. f

My invention relates to liquid rlieotziir'i oi? the! type that aire provided with a eentinuone circulation ol electrolyte, :ind it here' eneeizil reference lo ineens 'l'or eoolin tlie l an eleetrolyte or dieeiputingi ilie lient thereof.

@meot tlie objects ot my invention is to provifle appointee ot the ziboveinoioiateil vkclues, wliieli sliull be simple onil eil'oetive in :irrnngi'einent eonstroction and Liberation, and nfliiel: liezll be pzirtirnlziriy :ulzrpteil to cool .the entire body oli circulating electrolyte by continuously rliesipetiiig i large eiiioiint of lient from o relatively einzill por-k tion; ot the electrolyte.

lli :i more s'ieeitie er peut., it-

tlie object of in v invention to provide cooling zippe reine -wl'iieli shrill be arranged iii multiple relation to :i portion ol' the ,main circulating System, and which shall be adopted to dieeipzite energy in the torni of liiteutlient et ve'porizsition contained in relatively smell 'volume ot electrolyte which is continuously bypassed through it.

,Vlien liquiil rlieostete :ire employed upon powerful electric locomotives of large en paieity where eeononiy of weight :rml epilee is essentiel, it becomes necessary to use liqniC. rlieostzits tliiougli wliieli the electrolyte is continuously eirenlzitecl, :mil the Size nml .power of tbe locomotive is then limited to u great extent by the capacity el' tbe circuilziting' System to dissipate tbe lient vgiven up to tl'ie electrolyte.

lt. ia ol course, possible to force the entire f body ot electrolyte through seine forni of (fooling apparatus whereby the limit of tlie r L,elrx'li'cilyte muy be directly (lissipetefl, but in systems olE this type the Choking effect' of the cooling apparatus is suoli es to iieeessitote pumps of excessive Size, while the proportions of the cooling -zippziretus are also prohibitive.

According to my invention, l propose to overcome the diflieulties liereinbefore inentioned :unl to provide :adequate means einbodying auxiliary apparatus et relatively Specification of Letters Faisant.

.soinewliet less than the Wicltli of tlie -eonetitote mi integral port-ion of small sie-e for accomplishing tlie desired reeelt.

lo the accompanying drawing, Figure l. is zi View, partielly in eeetioii und partially in Sirio elevatiom or" eppoi-utile eznl'iodying my invention, enti Fig. 2 is zi, Seiniliegrenimotie vView in elevation of e moflitied form oli my invention.

Referring to Fig'. il, the epperzitns sliown comprises e .liquid rlieostet L sin electrolytereoiitaining reservoir Q, e pump :iuXiL Jury cooling; apparatus l end e tim 5.

The rlieoetat l ie provided with a bot,- toni discharge opei'iiiig S in .vliieli is placed a tubular combined discharge :intl regulating)l velvet) tiret Ais licliipteol to be raised and lowered in position by any Suitable ineens (not Shown) for tlie purpose of closing the dieflierge opening' S unil fixing tlie lieiglit oil? tbe electrolyte which ie eoiitinoouely Supplieil to lie rlieoszzt through en. inlet pipe l0. liie epee-nie eolie' ,notion tbe moi able discharge one. regulating valve not materiel to my present invention except ne it contri )Utes to tbe perlfornizmee of neeessary functions; in the operation of the System es e Whole, and Aany other sui-ble (levieee .tor performing similar functions may be employed. The rlieostiit l is located directly above alie .reservoir 2 :intl the eleotrolyte flowing tlironfli it is diseliergecl therein.

The pump 35 cooling apparat-us l and tan 5 :ire also merely illustrative o' any forni et devices for performing their respective (luties. The pump 3 receives eleetrolyte vtroni the reservoir Q tlirongli e onction pipe l1 and forcee Said electrolyte through 'the `inlet pipe l0 to tlie rlieofstet l.

taining tank l having a plurality of plates`IAV l5 that are alternately secured to opposite sides thereof enti are ine/lined in zielen/n 'Ward direetioink fthe length thereof being M to provide a spese between the free enfle thereof and :uljaeent Sides of the tank. A pipe i6 ooininnnieetee with the upper enel of the tank 14; above the upper plete 'l5 :mtl is connecter?. to the mein inlet l() edineent to the dieelierge side tliepninp 8. A Suitable rlellecting barrier l?, 'which tney the pipe 16, projects into the inlet gpiie l() just above the point of connection of the pipe 16 therewith, although it may not be necessary in all cases. The object of the delecting barrier 17 is to partially obstruct the pipe 10 and to cause a building up of pressure at thev lower end of the pipe 1G whereby electrolyte isforced upwardly in the tank 14. The lower end of the tank 1l is connected to the suction pipe 11 by means ot a pipe 18. Moreover, the fan 5 communicates with the lower end of the tank 1l through a pipe 19 for the purpose of introducing thereto a cooling medium, such vas air. An outlet 2O is provided at the top, of the tank 14 for permitting the escape of heated air and vapor.

Assuming the apparatus to occupy the positions shown and the pump 3 and fan 5 to be in operation, the electrolyte within the reservoir 2 is drawn into the pump 3 and forced upwardly, the main body thereof being delivered through the inlet pipe 10 to the rheostat 1, while a relatively small volume is by-passed through the pipe 16 to the cooling apparatus al.

When the rheostat 1 performs its function of absorbing electrical energy in accordance with customary practice, it will be understood that the energy is transformed to heat which is absorbed by the continuous floW of electrolyte. A portion of the heated electrolyte is continuously delivered to the upper en'd of thc cooling apparatus 4 from whence it flows in a zig-zag path down across the several plates 15 andl is thus brought into contact with the forced ventilating air which rises between said plates and is permitted to escape through theout-` let 20.

ln this manner a relatively large amount ot' heat is dissipated continuously from the small portion ci' the electrolyte that traverses the cooling apparatus 4, so that the electrolyte which is returned to the main circulating system through the pipe 18 is of comparatively low temperature, and, in

mixing with the mainbody ot' circulating.

electrolyte maintains it in a sulliciently cool tendit-ion to insure proper operation.

ltL is seemytherefore, that the cooling apparatus ocbupiesvery little space and is capable of dissipating heat at a rapid rate to maintain the main body of electrolyte at a temperature within operating limits.

Reference may now be had to Fig. 2, which discloses apparatus of a similar nature to that already set forth, with the eX- ception that the cooling apparatus Il is located at a kyheight suiiicient to permit the return pipe 18 to carry the cooled electrolyte by gravity into the inletl pipe 10, Thus, the heat of a part of the circulated electrolyte is directly dissipated in the cooil ing apparatus and the cooled electrolyte is delivered to the inlet pipe 10 and vmixed with the main body of electrolyte before being` delivered to the rheostat 1. -f

Obviously my invention may be embodied y in apparatus, the structural features and ar- Y rangement of parts of which differ myxiteri- 70.l ally from those herein Set forth, and Ltherefore, desire that only such limitations shall be imposed as are indicated in the appended claims.

l claim as my invention:

"1. The combination with a liquid rheostat and means for continuously circulating electrolyte therethrough, of auxiliary apparatus traversed by a relatively smallA portion of the circulating electrolyte for cooling all of said electrolyte by continuously dissipating the heat in the electrolyte traversing said auxiliary apparatus.

2. The combination with a liquid rheostat and means for continuously circulating electrolyte therethrough, of cooling means `for by-passing a portion of the circulated electrolyte and for dissipating the heat contained therein.

3. The combination with a liquid rheostat and means for continuously circulating electrolyte therethrough, of auxiliary means associated in multiple relation with a portion of the circulating means for cooling the entire body of circulating electrolyte by continuously dissipating a large amount of heat from a relatively small portion of the entirei body of electrolyte.

Il. The combination with a liquid rheostat, t

a body of electrolyte, and pumping means l and a piping'system for continuously circulating said electrolyte through said rheostat, of cooling apparatus connected in multiple relation to a portion of said piping system for continuously dissipating heat from a relatively small body of electrolyte that passes through it.

5. The combination with a liquid rheostat, a body of electrolyte, and pumping means and a. pipinglsystem for continuously circulating said lzlectrolyte throu h said rheostat, of branch piping connecte to the main piping system-on the dischar e side of said pumping means and to aneth r point of the system, and coolingl apparatus included in said branch piping.

6. The combination with a liquid rheostat and means for circulating electrolyte therethrough, of means for directly. cooling only a portion of said circulated electrolyte.

7. The combination Withl a liquid rheostat and means forcirculating electrolyte therethrough, of a cooling device associated with A said circulating means for directly dissipating heat from only a portionof the eiroulatedelectrolyte. i S. The combination with a liquiddheostat and means embodying a pumping devicefor continuously supplying electrolyte theretoff` l of appara-tus locatedbetween' said Dumping 130" fevce and e zheosiiwt foi* maling a, prton of the eclyolyl'e vdeivee t@ Said me@ Stat. y

9. The ccmbinution with a qud .whew stat and means ambodyng a 'pumping de Vice for continuously supplying electmyte hemto, of coong apparatus cmmeced in multiple relation to a portion of said mams z directly coding n poitiou of fha @lesivo-- 'ye.

10. The method of cooing a noch of' heated iquL which cnnssts in circulang the entire ,liquid Continufgxgsy and in by passing and simultaneously coding a wlw tive-Ey snml portion theresf* 1L The method of 'cooling bfjy heated liquid, which consiss in. CQHJRUQHSESI Tf1@ c'nbinfton with L liquid rheusga", containing a body of iqud :and mea-11s fm* contnumzsly GircLda-ngliquid through L phrzty of 'passagesn mul-ipe relatifs@ O1 means for continuously disspaii ing ibs-hem of 'Ehe liquid that :is circulated wough an@ of h@ said passages.

n esimony whemof, have hereuntu subscribed my mun@ this 30th day of Nov.,

KARL A. SIMMON., Witnesses:

Gf. E. LHWEN, 

